Super Mushroom Quinoa Burrito — Stuffed Vegan Dinner!

When was the last time you had a burrito so big that you couldn’t pick it up?

A vegan burrito. That you made yourself. And then devoured?

If it’s been a while, I hope you’re ready for another one! And if you’ve never had that pleasure, now’s the perfect time to indulge. All you need are a few whole-grain tortillas, some quinoa and the best mushrooms that you can get your hands on. Because, fellow foodies, this is no ordinary vegan burrito. It’s a Super Mushroom Quinoa Burrito!

How am I going to roll this up??

It was inspired partly by the quinoa broccoli burrito in The Oh She Glows Cookbook. I’m used to Mexican-style burritos that incorporate beans and rice, but that one is filled with quinoa, bits of broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and a cashew sauce. I wanted to do something similar using the amazing mushrooms I picked up at the farmer’s market (yes, I stopped to see the Mariaville Mushroom Men again!).

I tried to keep the filling fairly simple: just a little garlic, some onions, diced tomatoes and frozen spinach, lightly sauteed while the quinoa was cooking.

Having already had a great deal of nuts/seeds/other tasty healthy fats for the day, I didn’t want to play around with a nut-based sauce for flavor. I did, however, want to add a few beans to the mix. The result? A creamy dressing made from chickpeas and lemon juice, seasoned with just a hint of thyme and black pepper. The only other ingredient is water, added as needed to get the desired consistency.

Looking at it now, I have no idea how I managed to actually make a burrito out of it once it was all done. Like most plant-based dishes, it wound up being an astonishing amount of food to consume in one sitting — which I’m completely okay with, given that cooking and eating are major parts of every day for me.

A lot of my recipes can be noodled around with to personalize them, but I recommend sticking to the recipe for this one. Although it is a super burrito, it’s meant to stay simple and let the mushrooms be the star of the show. That’s why I encourage you to use the most amazing mushrooms possible. Try a variety you’ve never had and enjoy the flavor. I’m a big fan of oyster mushrooms, myself, but there are so many different types out there to try–be creative!

As far as greens go, use any fresh or frozen greens in place of the spinach to tailor the burrito to your liking–or to whatever’s on hand in the fridge. Sprinkle a little nutritional yeast on top if you like a cheesy flavor, roll it all up (if you can) and dig in!

Get your knife and fork ready for this burrito! It’s stuffed with quinoa, mushrooms and spinach and dressed with lemon thyme chickpea sauce–good luck getting it to stay closed.

Author: Sam

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 4 burritos

Ingredients

For the quinoa:

1 cup quinoa

1/12 cups water

For the filling

4-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup onions, sliced

12 ounces mushrooms, any variety, sliced

1½ cups diced fresh tomatoes

4 cups fresh spinach (or 2 cups frozen)

For the sauce:

1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained & rinsed if caned

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp dried thyme

freshly ground black pepper to taste

water as needed

To serve

4 whole grain wraps

nutritional yeast, optional

Instructions

Rinse and drain the quinoa. Place it in a medium saucepan along with the water, cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the pan on the burner, covered, for 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, place the onions in a medium skillet over medium heat and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add drops of water to the pan to prevent sticking if necessary. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, 1-2 minutes more.

Place the mushrooms in the pan and and saute until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and spinach and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are softened and the spinach is wilted.

While the veggies are cooking, make the sauce. Combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, thyme and pepper in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides and add water as necessary. Taste and adjust seasonings and set aside.

When the quinoa is finished cooking, add it to the pan along with the chickpea sauce. Stir to combine and continue to cook until just heated through. Divide the filling among the four tortillas and top with nutritional yeast (if using). Roll up and enjoy!

Sam has been a vegan since summer of 2009 and has spent the subsequent years experimenting with all manner of vegan food. She holds a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and is a graduate of the Bauman College Nutrition Consultant Program. She is a member of Toastmasters International and currently serves as part of the Capital View Toastmasters club. When she's not blogging or cooking, Sam likes to read and study the Bible, play silly card games and knit socks.